Siblings to the Rescue

Gonyaul finished and noticed that Tiponi had fallen asleep, exhausted from the betrothal labor. He didn’t want to wake her, so he gently released her into a comfortable position and moved back enough to meditate.

While his eyes were closed he replayed the observations of each step of constructing the tent over and over again. With each iteration, he started to see less of the tent and more of her in his thoughts. He stopped. Paused and shook his head to clear his thoughts. But when he went back to trying to visually construct the tent he once again was bombarded with mental flashes of Tiponi stretching herself to the limits and coming out victorious.

Gonyaul was saved by the sound of a young female Odsier voice calling in from outside through the cover of the tent. He didn’t know it, but it was Tiponi’s younger sister.

She had been watching the entire tent setup and was also stationed as somewhat as a lookout. Their father had returned with the hunting party, with kills that needed preparing. The father was not yet aware of what their mother had put into motion in his absence, and it was best not to get caught inside a tent.

Tiponi woke slowly and then quickly recognized her sister’s warning signals. She apologized to Gonyaul as well as thanked him, the latter he understood.

Tiponi took his hand and pulled him from the tent with her. She smiled up at him and thanked him again, mentioning how her feet felt like they were walking in clouds. She instructed him to go with her younger brother, who had also been waiting, while she and the younger sister took off back to her parents’ tent; her mom would meet her on route.

As she left her grip on Gonyaul’s hand lingered and after several feet she looked back. He was still watching her leave with an adorable grin on his face he just couldn’t help. After another while, she looked over her shoulder again and he was still watching. Then she disappeared from sight.

Tiponi’s younger brother teasingly went to give Gonyaul a punch to the arm, saying something snarky at the same time. Gonyaul reflexively leaned back, the punch missing in front of his chest, then stepped into the lad sending him off balance. Before the teenager was halfway to falling, Gonyaul had grabbed hold of him and kept him from going over all the way.

The lad was stunned by how quickly things changed. He saw that going a lot differently. Gonyaul helped him back up and smiled. He allowed the pat on the back from her brother, who was already asking if Gonyaul would show him how he did that.

It would have to wait though, because the two of them were flagged down by some older women on route to the cleaning area. Gonyaul and the brother made their way to aid in the preparation for the nights meals. The brother went off to be with his father and Gonyaul was left making Berry Pecammin again. He was hoping Tiponi would be there like last time; however, she was not.

Tiponi was being helped bathed by her mother and sister. She would be attending the meal once again dressed in a nicer outfit with her hair made up. It was going to take time and assistance to transform her sweaty disheveled self into a head turner.